Why Lindenwood's Connor Harris is one of the most underrated draft prospects

There are several prolific players coming out in the 2017 draft, with many that have broken NCAA records.

Zay Jones and Corey Davis have the records for career receptions and receiving yards, respectively. Patrick Mahomes broke two single-game records in the same game against Oklahoma for both passing yards and total offense. Donnell Pumphrey broke Ron Dayne’s career rushing yards record.

But there’s also this kid out of Lindenwood that nobody has heard of. He actually played high school ball at Blue Springs South in the suburbs of Kansas City, yet even KC natives haven’t payed him any mind throughout the scouting process.

His name is Connor Harris, and he set the bar for defensive production in NCAA football. Harris amassed 633 tackles for the Lindenwood Lions over 48 games for an average of a little over 13 per game.

Usually production like that would earn a player an early-round grade, but because he played at a Division-II school, Harris simply isn’t being talked about.

Scouts have raved about his work ethic and love of tape, but are concerned that his size (5-foot-11 and 242 pounds) could hold him back from being a standout in the NFL.

Here’s a look at what Harris (No. 16) did at Lindenwood:

The athleticism is evident from just one clip of film. This guy can cover a ton of field, and despite his size has an innate ability to beat linemen at the point of attack.

Watch above how he’s completely out of the frame, and suddenly appears to make a clutch tackle one-on-one. It’s not only the speed to the ball that makes plays like this special, it’s Harris’ ability to disengage a blocker and make adjustments to be a sure tackler to end the play.

In this clip, Harris shows the tenacity that made him legendary at Lindenwood. The guy simply refuses to be uninvolved. The back bounces the run outside, and Harris fills the gap perfectly. Then the running back cuts back in, and Harris is immediately there to make the tackle for lost yardage. This is the effort teams like the Chiefs are looking for, that relentless drive to be in on every tackle on every play.

There’s not much keeping Kansas City from taking a chance on a guy like Harris. He’s a Kansas City native, might be the hardest working player in the class, and is a clutch special teams contributor.

This just shows how versatile Harris could be, even if he’s switched to fullback like he was at the Chiefs’ local pro day. Harris’ size might be a red flag, but the tape on him shows that he’s a special player regardless of measurables. You can’t teach want-to and effort, and Harris has the market cornered on both.

All in all, Harris is probably only being overlooked for playing D-II. He’s almost guaranteed to find a suitor in the draft, so be on the lookout for Harris to put his mark on the league in 2017.

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